Young Liverpool striker Adam Morgan was confronted by a pitch invader during ugly scenes at the Premier League Under-21 clash with Manchester United.

Morgan, 18, shrugged off the encounter which followed a flare being thrown on to the pitch at Langtree Park, the home of St Helens rugby league team on Monday night.

Raucous: Manchester United fans brought smoke bombs and a flare to the U21 match at Langtree Park

Man United claimed a dramatic 1-0 victory over their bitter rivals team thanks to Michele
Fornasier's last-gasp strike.

The Italian defender pounced from close range just as it seemed Warren Joyce's side would be denied victory in front of a large crowd.

Alex Buttner and Nick Powell started for United, along with Jeffery Schlupp who is on trial from Leicester, while Raheem Sterling, Suso, Andre Wisdom and Jonjo Shelvey lined up for Liverpool in the Barclays Premier League Under 21 clash.

Liverpool had Stephen Sama sent off early in the second half for his second yellow card.

But the visitors almost failed to capitalise on the dismissal of Sama, spurning several good chances to score before Fornasier's late strike.

Christian Wade gave another timely demonstration of his predatory instincts to help Wasps recover from a calamitous start to secure a ninth home victory of the season and climb into the Aviva Premiership play-off zone.

The 21-year-old wing pounced for a try just before half-time, which put Dai Young’s side ahead for the first time at Adams Park.

They had fallen behind after just 25 seconds, which was all the time it took for Nick Abendanon to capitalise on abject defending to strike on the right, then moments later Tom Varndell was contentiously sin-binned for what was ruled a dangerous tackle.

Solo: Wade changed the game with his brilliant individual effort just before half-time

Wasps were trailing 12-3 after 15 minutes, but rallied emphatically to claim the win which takes them up to fourth in the table.

Their dominance over all-comers in
High Wycombe was maintained on the back of the powerful driving,
tackling and all-round graft of South African flanker Ashley Johnson,
allied to flashes of class from a number of the homegrown contingent and
17 points from the boot of Stephen Jones.

Young had been at pains to play down
the optimism being generated by his young team’s rise up the rankings
and what happened in the first minute was an effective method of
bursting any bubbles. Abendanon gathered Jones’s clearance kick near
halfway and was able to brush past Rhys Thomas and Varndell, before
swatting aside Joe Simpson and touching down in the corner.

Cruise: Chris Bell scored a late try as Wasps won by 14 points

ENGLAND WATCH

With a Test position on the wing up for grabs, Wasps’ Christian Wade showed his finishing prowess.

Rookie No 8 Billy Vunipola again rumbled around to good effect and outside centre Elliot Daly was dangerous in possession.

Joe Launchbury carried well for Wasps, but scrum-half Joe Simpson had a disastrously untidy outing.

Nick Abendanon of Bath was a lively, try-scoring presence but is a long way down the queue for the full-back role.

As if that wasn’t bad enough for
Wasps, after a three-point riposte from their stand-off, Varndell was
shown the yellow card for upending Horacio Agulla. It was a marginal
call at best.

Referee Andrew Small referred the
decision to television match official David Grashoff – a process which
became a regular feature of an astonishingly prolonged encounter. While
the Wasps wing was in the sin bin, Bath struck again on his flank, with a
line-out catch and strong drive creating the platform for Michael
Claassens to go over. Stephen Donald converted to make it 12-3.

Wasps continued to stumble along, but
Jones struck another penalty to keep them in touch, then Bath lock
Dominic Day was sin-binned for taking out James Cannon in the air at a
line-out.

That offence was punished with
another three points and in the 40th minute the home side forged ahead. A
patient attack through multiple phases was given impetus by Chris Bell
and Daly on the left, before captain Hugo Southwell’s long pass on the
opposite wing reached Wade, who scorched through a gap past the flapping
Donald and held off Tom Biggs to score. Jones converted to make it
16-12.

After the interval, a penalty by Tom
Heathcote, on for Donald, hinted at a Bath revival but it wasn’t to be.
Jones landed two more shots of his own before the knockout blow eight
minutes from time.

Consistent: Stephen Jones kicked five penalties

From Nicky Robinson’s brilliant flick
under pressure, Daly chipped ahead on the left, Simpson chased through
to gather and the scrum-half passed off the floor for Bell to score.
Robinson added the extra two points and Wasps protected their lead in
the face of a late onslaught to deny their opponents a losing bonus
point.

Southwell said: ‘We are improving
every week and having got to where we are in the table we want to stay
there, but the Premiership is really tight, so a couple of bad games and
we could slip back again.’

Bath stay eighth and coach Toby Booth said: ‘We forced things too much and made some average decisions.’

Celtic 1 Motherwell 0: Hooper's 18th of the season extends Bhoys' lead at the summit

PUBLISHED:

17:05 GMT, 2 January 2013

|

UPDATED:

17:17 GMT, 2 January 2013

Gary Hooper's late strike gave Celtic victory over Motherwell in their Clydesdale Bank Premier League encounter at Parkhead.

Hoops keeper Fraser Forster made a brilliant save from Tom Hateley's penalty, awarded for Kelvin Wilson's challenge on Jamie Murphy, just before the Englishman converted a Georgios Samaras cross from close range with 11 minutes remaining.

Not for the first time this season at home, though, the champions ended up struggling to get three points from a match that should have been over by the interval.

Well keeper Darren Randolph kept Celtic at bay with a series of saves although there were some glaring misses too before Hooper pounced to take Neil Lennon's side into the winter break nine points clear of Inverness at the top of the table.

However, Motherwell manager Stuart
McCall, set to lose forward Murphy to Sheffield United this week, will
wonder how different it might have been had Hateley scored from the
spot.

Lennon made four changes and returned
to a back four after admitting three at the back did not work in the
1-0 defeat by Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday.

In came Adam Matthews, Beram Kayal,
Kris Commons and Charlie Mulgrew with skipper Scott Brown, Mikael
Lustig, Lassad Nouioui and Thomas Rogne dropping out, the latter two on
the bench.

Motherwell showed two changes with
Fraser Kerr and Zaine Francis-Angol in for Shaun Hutchinson and Michael
Higdon, the big striker consigned to the bench where he watched the home
side's whirlwind start suggest a demolition job.

Samaras had the ball in the net from Commons' cross in the second minute but was flagged offside.
Commons then flashed a shot from the edge of the box just wide after
being set up by Hooper, who then turned and drove wide after taking a
Kayal pass with his back to goal.

In the seventh minute Randolph made a
fine save from Hooper's stab from close range after more good work on
the left from Samaras, before tipping stand-in skipper Mulgrew's curling
free-kick over the bar for a corner.

Hands on: Fraser Forster saves Tom Hateley's penalty

There was no let-up in the pressure
on the Motherwell goal and moments later Randolph flew to his left to
pluck a goal-bound Commons shot out of the air.

The Hoops support groaned once more
when Victor Wanyama then missed Mulgrew's corner altogether from eight
yards, allowing Well to clear their lines.

Murphy, skipper for the day, should
have put the visitors ahead following a break in the 20th minute when he
was played in by Keith Lasley but he lashed the ball over the bar.

Defender Efe Ambrose guided Mulgrew's whipped-in free-kick past the near post from six yards out.
Motherwell slowly grew in confidence as the first half wore on.

Mixed emotions: Neil Lennon applauds Hooper's winner

In the 37th minute Murphy tested
Forster with a drive from the edge of the box and moments later curled a
shot from 14 yards past the far post after working his way past Kayal
and into a good shooting position.

Samaras had a low drive from 20 yards saved by Randolph.

With seconds remaining Ambrose missed
the chance of the half when Randolph dropped Wanyama's header from a
Mulgrew corner, the Parkhead defender hooking the ball over the bar from
barely two yards.

Celtic had an unconvincing start to
the second period but with six minutes gone Randolph tipped a deflected
shot from Wanyama over the bar.

Celtic dropped the tempo which
allowed Well to breath slightly easier but Randolph was still seeing
plenty of the ball, making another decent save from Commons'
right-footed drive from 25 yards in the 67th minute.

Both sides were taking turns to
attack but Motherwell were handed a great chance to take the lead when
referee Steven McLean adjudged Wilson to have tripped Murphy in the box.

There was some concern as to whether
Hateley had the ball on the spot or not – and Forster was booked for
pointing this out – but when the Motherwell player blasted his shot to
his left the Celtic flew across to make a great save.

The incident seemed to energise
Celtic and they were soon in the lead when Hooper played the ball to
Samaras and ran into the box to collect the return pass and slip the
ball under Randolph from six yards.

There were some nervy moments before the final whistle as Motherwell went for broke but in the end Celtic deserved their win.

BUMBLE TEST DIARY: I predict England will smash the Aussies (twice) but India need to forget IPL razzmatazz and get serious about Test cricket

|

UPDATED:

17:16 GMT, 17 December 2012

NERVOUS COOK NEEDN'T WORRY, THIS WAS AN EPIC WIN

Alastair Cook said he was nervous going into the final day and feared one bad session could cost England but their two Bears (Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell) played wonderfully well. They helped themselves to a century each and, in the end, it was a very comfortable series win as expected. But this was also an epic win, an outstanding performance.

Smiler: Coach Andy Flower

SMILES BETTER FOR FLOWER

I've never seen coach Andy Flower with such a wide smile on his face. He understands what England have achieved. To turn India over in their own backyard is as good as any Ashes win, it's the holy grail, you just don't do it. When India bamboozled England in the first Test, they asked for spinning pitches because they wanted a 4-0 win, but it backfired badly and England pounced.

IPL PARTY IS NO EXCUSE FOR FAILING TEST

India now have a massive choice. They either get real about Test match cricket or they concentrate on the IPL, which is a fantastic event but it's just entertainment, a seven-week party. It's light years away from the discipline of Test cricket. How interested the India players are can be judged by the debutant in this Test (Jadeja) who is already a millionaire from IPL! So why should he care about Tests

Just not (real) cricket: Katy Perry (left) and cheerleaders have added much glamour and fun to IPL cricket

KP'S CELEBRATIONS SHOW HE'S BACK IN THE FOLD

England have stabilised from the summer when the Kevin Pietersen issue dominated. There was a lot of love around during the celebrations at the end of the Test, particularly surrounding KP. And it was noticeable that Flower said 'we have had a tough time but we're back on track'.

England go to New Zealand in the New Year who are second from bottom in the rankings. There can be no complacency and England must win in style. We've had the reintegration of KP and now look forward to the integration of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow as England get ready for the Ashes.

PICTURE DISPUTE

We are unable to carry live pictures from the
fourth Test in Nagpur due to a dispute between the Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) and international news organisations.The BCCI has refused access to Test venues to established picture
agencies Getty Images and Action Images and other Indian photographic
agencies. MailOnline consider this action to be a strike against press freedom and supports the action to boycott BCCI imagery.

TWO SPINNERS MAY NOT GO IN FLOWER'S PLAN FOR WORLD DOMINATION

As for Monty Panesar, my experience of New Zealand is that you can play two spinners, and Flower acknowledged he has two world-class spinners. But he also insisted that it was three seamers and one spinner who took England to the top of the world and pointedly remarked that Graeme Swann took the most wickets on tour, so Monty may just play here and there.

Friends: Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann (left) pose after the draw in Nagpur. Swann's team-mates have been ribbing him for looking like Chandler from the sitcom Friends (right)… Judge for yourselves…

I EXPECT THREE WINS FROM ENGLAND'S NEXT THREE SERIES

I am a betting man and I predict three series wins for England next year, in New Zealand and home and away in the Ashes. England are the better team with, crucially, better players on the bench. When the likes of Monty, Root and Steven Finn can come in and take over, you're laughing.

More from David Lloyd…

BUMBLE'S TEST DIARY: I've done 'a Trott' and was not proud of it, but I'm less of a fan of Captain Beefheart
16/12/12

Mignolet faces the music after gaffe costs Sunderland dear against West Brom

|

UPDATED:

21:28 GMT, 25 November 2012

Simon Mignolet could have headed straight home on Saturday night, and plunged into the lonely, miserable world of the goalkeeper who has made the error which has cost his team victory.

But the Belgian keeper, Sunderland's saviour on so many occasion this season, did not want to hide.

He wanted to offer his apologies and thanks to fans and team-mates after the error which gifted Shane Long a goal and handed West Brom their fourth consecutive win for the first time in 32 years.

Gaffe: Shane Long took advantage of Simon Mignolet's error to score

Mignolet was immediately inconsolable after spilling a mis-hit through ball from Chris Brunt in the last minute of the first-half and Long pounced to tap home.

He was still cursing himself at half-time and the final whistle, when he was applauded and serenaded by the few fans who had stayed for the duration of the 4-2 defeat.

Mignolet made one stunning save later to deny Long. But the damage was done. He got a hand to Zoltan Gera's strike and was helpless to stop Marc-Antoine Fortune's lovely, late finish and a penalty from Romelu Lukaku.

Martin O'Neill's No 1, who also took to Twitter to apologise, made himself for interviews in the tunnel.

And he said: 'First of all I have to thank the fans for the reaction around the stadium afterwards.

Error: Mignolet had been in fine form for Sunderland this season

'There are two things that can happen when you do things like that: The players, fans, can get behind you because they know what you have done for them in the past or they can get on your back. What happened was that they all got behind me.

'I really appreciate it and I thank them all for that. There's another game on Tuesday and that's what a goalkeeper's life is. You are only as good a goalkeeper as the last game you play.

'It doesn't stop the bleeding, no matter how I have done in the past. It is probably the worst mistake I will make. I have never made a big mistake like that before.

'You don't want things like that to happen. You know it can happen. But you can't do any more about it. You learn from it.

'I can't even say anything about it. That's what football is. Anything can happen in a split second. What happened is the question that will be in my head, spinning round. But I can't dwell on it.

Gutted: Sunderland slumped to another defeat at the weekend

'I was pleased with how the second half went. I didn't lose my confidence which is more important than what happened in the first half. There's plenty big games this year still to play.'

Sunderland have rubbished rumours that O'Neill offered to quit on Saturday night.

But they have now won just three Premier League games in 26, and they were all against 10 men. And his side are Harry Redknapp's first opponents as QPR boss on Tuesday night.

Naismith backs former Rangers pal Jelavic to help Everton hit Champions League

|

UPDATED:

14:53 GMT, 11 November 2012

Everton forward Steven Naismith believes Nikica Jelavic can help fire the Toffees to a top-four finish this season.

The Croatian found the net for the first time in a month in a late 2-1 win over Sunderland at Goodison Park, scoring soon after Marouane Fellaini had equalised Adam Johnson's first strike for the Black Cats.

It was far from the 27-year-old's best game but by scoring his first for a month, having entered October on the back of four goals in five matches, he may have rediscovered his touch.

In the hunt: Nikica Jelavic and Co are fighting to finish in the top four

Naismith, who played alongside Jelavic at Rangers, knows the benefit an in-form striker can have.

'It makes a huge difference. He has not scored in his last few games and he'll have be disappointed with that,' said the Scot.

'He's not had many great chances in the game but the one that came his way he was composed and he put it away in the corner and that is why he has such a big reputation.

'Going forward Fellaini has probably been our most prolific and even Kevin Mirallas, in the last few games, has been very direct and arguably our most influential player.

'It is down to the quality we have in the squad. We are happy with the boys we've got and that is why we are pushing for the top spots.'

Jelavic pounced in the 79th minute, swooping on Fellaini's backheel through the legs of John O'Shea to dispatch the winner past Simon Mignolet.

Just three minutes earlier Fellaini had drilled home to cancel out Johnson, who volleyed home his maiden goal for the club he joined in the summer and Sunderland's first in eight hours 54 minutes of football.

The win kept Everton in fourth place and manager David Moyes was pleased to see his main striker back among the goals.

History: Steven Naismith knows Jelavic well after partnering him at Rangers

'He looked delighted (when he scored) because he didn't have a good game,' said the Scot.

'But I can tell you of a lot of centre-forwards who don't have good games and score – we can live with that.

'I didn't want to take our goalscorer off, especially when you are a goal down, because you want to try to find a way and we hoped something might drop to him.

'I am sure that will help him and hopefully we will start to see a run of goals from him again.

'I don't think we found him in the box or he didn't find enough space for us to get him the ball.

'But people who are centre-forwards will tell you they lose confidence when they don't score goals and regain it when they do.

'So it was good to see him and Felli scoring again. They are the people who we rely on a lot for goals and they came up trumps.

'Fellaini has proved this season he is a really important player for us.

'He has great chest control, he has lovely soft feet and he can play.

'When we needed him to drop back with 15 minutes to go he can play deeper as well.'

First: Adam Johnson is the only Sunderland player to net in the PL apart from Steven Fletcher

The only downside to the day was when Mirallas limped off on the half-hour with a hamstring problem. He will have a scan to assess the damage.

'Every time he has been on the pitch for us he's looked a threat,' said Moyes of his 6million summer signing.

'I don't think it's too bad but he'll have to have it scanned.'

Sunderland, having ended their goalscoring drought, looked as though they would bring to an end an 11-year stretch without a victory against Everton.

Johnson paid back some of his 10million transfer fee with a smart volley but Sunderland needed to take more of their chances and manager Martin O'Neill left Merseyside frustrated.

'That will help Adam's confidence. He put in a very strong performance, particularly in the first half,' he said.

'It was a good performance by Johnson, Stephane Sessegnon was outstanding for long periods and I am disappointed we didn't see it through for any of the points.

'With 14 minutes left we could have got three and we didn't get any.

'There was great spirit among the players and that was epitomised by the performance.'

Austin equalised shortly after the half-hour – his eighth goal in as many games and, had Rams forward Conor Sammon displayed Austin's prowess in the penalty area after half-time, victory might have gone to Nigel Clough's side.

But former Swindon striker Austin made it nine for the campaign when he stooped to head Chris McCann's 89th-minute cross past Frank Fielding and give Burnley their first points on the road this term.

Austin recovered from the hip injury that ruled him out of Wednesday night's loss at Leicester to return to the visitors' line-up along with defender Ben Mee and winger Ross Wallace as Joseph Mills, Cameron Stewart and Brian Stock all dropped to the bench.

James O'Connor did likewise for Derby as Jake Buxton came in to partner skipper Richard Keogh at centre-back.

Burnley goalkeeper Lee Grant produced a superb save to thwart his former club when Will Hughes thumped a powerful volley low to his right in the 10th minute.

Grant then kept out Craig Bryson's header from Paul Coutts' cross, but the Rams claimed a 20th-minute lead.

Swindon pulled off a significant upset in the Capital One Cup second round as a James Collins hat-trick helped the npower League One side claim a dramatic extra-time victory at Stoke.

The Robins shocked their Barclays Premier League opponents in the opening period as Collins pounced upon a mistake by Potters goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to make it 1-0 in the 27th minute and then doubled their lead by nodding in just prior to half-time.

Stoke salvaged extra-time after the break through strikes from Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters, but Paulo Di Canio's Swindon would not be denied in the additional period, with defender Aden Flint (105) and Collins (119) netting either side of Peter Crouch's header (111) for the hosts.

Stoke were playing their second match
in just over 48 hours following Sunday's 0-0 draw with Arsenal and
manager Tony Pulis refreshed his first XI by making six changes from
that game.

The Potters looked anything but
invigorated in the first half, though, against a lively Swindon team
whose record for the campaign going into the contest showed no defeats
and no goals conceded in four matches, and included a 3-0 victory over
Championship outfit Brighton in the previous round.

The Robins appeared comfortable from
the off and after Tommy Miller had sent a shot into the arms of
Sorensen, Rafaelle De Vita struck wide.

It seemed only a matter of time
before the hosts settled down and they issued a couple of warnings at
the other end, Cameron Jerome firing in a speculative effort from
distance, Jones heading one cross over and the pair then getting in each
other's way as they attempted to meet another.

Stoke were showing some sloppiness at
the back, though, with Collins just unable to capitalise on one
defensive lapse before he made the most of a further error to put
Swindon ahead.

Jay McEveley delivered the ball towards the box where it was fumbled by Sorensen, allowing Collins to guide it into the net.

Pure delight: James Collins celebrates scoring

The Potters needed to wake up but it
was the visitors who continued to dictate proceedings, with Andy
Williams drilling at Sorensen from the edge of the area.

Anything Stoke were creating Jones was heading too high and four minutes before the break, they were a further goal behind.

Collins was the scorer once again,
nodding in De Vita's corner, and the Republic of Ireland Under-21
striker nearly completed his hat-trick moments later, seeing his shot
cleared off the line.

The attacking flurry from Swindon did
not let up and De Vita hit the post just before the whistle went for
the interval, met by boos from the Stoke fans.

Pulis opted not to make any
substitutions at half-time and his team continued to look shaky in
defence as the second period got under way, although there was a decent
block made to deny De Vita.

Going forward, wide men Jermaine
Pennant and Michael Kightly were doing their best to apply some pressure
and in the 63rd minute, the latter provided the cross as Jones
demonstrated some accuracy to head Stoke back into the game.

Pulis made a treble substitution in
the 77th minute with Crouch, Walters and debutant Jamie Ness coming on
for Jones, Jerome and Ryan Shotton and the reshuffle soon paid off,
Walters stroking the ball in with four minutes of normal time remaining.

Stoke finished the 90 minutes with
plenty of momentum, but Crouch and Pennant were unable to apply the
finishing touch and the game went into extra-time.

The Potters continued to look
threatening into the additional period, but Swindon sprang a shock on
the stroke of half-time as Flint headed in at the back-post to put them
in front once more.

Crouch levelled after the break with a
headed effort of his own, but the Robins then incredibly snatched it at
the death as Collins slid in a minute from time to complete his treble
and a famous win for Di Canio's men.

A rampant Liverpool smashed four goals past Chelsea to gain some measure of revenge for their controversial FA Cup final defeat to the same opponents just three days ago.

The Blues may have played with a Wembley hangover and as a result their hopes of a top-four finish in the Barclays Premier League were obliterated. Roberto Di Matteo's side are now destined for a sixth-place finish.

Captain John Terry endured a miserable first half as Liverpool ran in three goals – and missed a penalty by Stewart Downing – through a Michael Essien own goal, Jordan Henderson and Daniel Agger.

Ramires bundled in from close range to give Chelsea hope but Jonjo Shelvey pounced on a dreadful clearance by stand-in goalkeeper Ross Turnbull to strike the Reds' fourth of the night into an empty net.

More to follow.

Dan's the man: Agger (centre right) is congratulated after scoring Liverpool's third goal